Patent · US Expired

Process and apparatus for three-dimensional surveying

US4873449A · kind A · utility

20Cited by
7References
12Claims
0Family size

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 4, 1988
Grant dateOct 10, 1989
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 4, 2008

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01C11/00
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The invention relates to process and apparatus for three-dimensional surveying by triangulation with a laser beam source. Pursuant to known practice, a laser beam scans a scene to be surveyed, by means of controlled rotary positioning of a mirror. The reflected beam is detected by a linear array of photosensitive receptors, enabling the location of the illuminated point to be determined by triangulation. Significant to the invention is the use of a secondary light source for precision measurement of the angular location of the scanning mirror, rather than relying upon controlled positioning of the mirror, which is much less accurate.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.